3rd Gen. 4 cyl pulling camper question

Afternoon,

Been lookin at campers, I have a 2019 Sr 4x2 utility with a MX topper. Given it has a 3500 tow capacity. Any idea how it would be pulling and stopping with a camper such as this? On top of empty camper weight Would I need to factor in weight for fresh, black , grey holding tanks which would be around 750lbs if all 75 gallons filled? Any idea on the MPG I would achieve pulling that camper with that truck set up? https://www.rvuniverse.com/listings...MI8NjT6oTigQMVZCStBh0WnQKEEAAYAiAAEgLSzfD_BwE

 

Something low profile like a popup might be doable, you should consider drag too,, it has just as much of an impact on acceleration and MPG's as weight. At 2,400 lbs and 9 foot tall, that camper will probably be miserable to tow. You should also add trailer brakes. Keep in mind that advertised dry weight is often stripped, no gas tanks, batteries, spare, etc etc.
Yes, the GVWR in your door jamb includes everything and that stuff adds up fast!
I would take one for a test drive before purchasing any camper, this is no tow machine.

Another consideration is; where and for how long are you towing?
A retiree towing 80 miles on flat highways, is much different then parents towing all their kid's shit, through the mountains, 800 miles and having to be back before bedtime Sunday night.

 

Would be a potential living situation during travel work contracts for months at a time , so primarily be towing to a campsite and leaving it there.. not quick back and forth trips.

 

Measure your 0-60 time in minutes.
Usually a good rule of thumb when pulling a trailer at half weight of max is half the mpg, and stays close to there as you get heavier.

 

I'm surprised that my V6 4x4 struggles with this camper going up any incline worth mentioning.
For instance - bumblebee area off 17 heading to Flagstaff.

Running ECT and S4 with occasional S5 on flat stretches I've had to drop to S3 a few times to gain any reasonable
speed going up inclines. This camper weighs about 1200 pounds. Added camping gear in the bed probably adds another
200-300 pounds. Dometic Fridge and Jackery 1000 Pro plus 2 small adults probably another 400 in the cab.

So pulling a 3500 lb camper in a 4-banger with a topper plus 'stuff' depending on where you are at could be a bit of a struggle.

Brakes are a must. Period. Full stop ( pun intended ).

 

Would only consider a 6 cyl or a tundra

 

Bottom line is a 4 banger is going to struggle towing that weight. It can certainly do it but forget about performance and good gas mileage.

 

People talk a lot of fearmongering about towing. You are going to notice there are a LOT of campers that weigh 2800-3200 lbs.. Makes you wonder WHY that is. It is because a tow capacity of 3500-3600 is extremely common with vehicles. To me there seems to be some logical breaks in what vehicles can tow (2000, 3600, 5000, 6500, 7500 and 10000+) and you will see campers MADE that weigh lower than that. My camper is a Kz sportsmen 170mb. I towed it with a 4.0 V6 Dodge grand caravan. (Tow capacity of 3600 lbs) it was fine. I got a weight distribution hitch and the trailer had electric brakes. also you are getting robbed on that 130RB my 170MB was 18500 brand new. and the RV industry is falling apart so prices should be better.

https://www.kampercity.com/new-rvs-for-sale?s=true&manufacturer=kz

 

It will do. I wouldn’t want to do it often.
And you’re going to have to run the shit out of the engine. RPMs are your friend here. As well as gear selection.

Don’t let anyone tell you the V6 is much better. You have to run it hard too.
Sure they pull “better” than 4 cylinder.
But the Tacoma isn’t a truck made for towing.

Personally, I would not want to tow any full size camper over 3,500 lbs with a Tacoma. But if it’s all you got, send. Send it hard.

Yes, I tow with my Tacoma.
I have a 6 cylinder and I’m spinning 3,000+ nearly the whole time I’m towing. Other wise I’m not going anywhere “fast”. And fast is still slow.

 

Like what others have mentioned, not the ideal setup for towing, but doable.

But I would look into an Aliner or Rockwood A-frame style pop up. They are hard sided popups, which have the benefits of folding down while still being hard sided all around.

I just picked up a used Rockwood A122 and granted I have the V6, it was a breeze to tow. I was getting around 13mpg towing it, which is similar to what I've gotten towing other things like a trailer + golfcart.

https://aliner.com/campers/ranger-10/

 

2019 2.7 auto here. It’s going to do fine, you’ll be fine, I promise. Ect and s4 while
Towing.

 

The 3.5 is a dog when towing, the 2.7 is miserable. That said, if you’re just towing it occasionally and parking for a few weeks/months at a time it won’t be that bad. If I were going to live in a trailer (and I do) I would not buy a cheaply built one like what you’ve posted. A quality trailer that will last, keep you warm in winter and cool in the summer and have the storage space for living in will be too heavy for a Tacoma to tow.

 

I guess post #11 ends this debate. Mazel Tov brother!

 

Towing 4000lb trailer with my v6 was miserable. I can’t even imagine a 4 cyl.

 

I wouldn't even try it. I've towed every trailer imaginable with every kind of truck. As a rule of thumb if towing regularly I try to keep the trailer at 50% of the vehicles tow capacity. I've towed way more but not a camper that I would tow on the regular. I've always found half to be the comfort zone and eliminated the worry about taking to much gear or additional weight within reason. The 6cyl tacomas are not terrible but not great tow vehicles. If I had a 4cyl I wouldn't tow anything other than a small pop up.

 

OP says he is just going to haul it to a campsite and leave it parked. How far and type of terrain? 4 cyl will do it, but I would think hard about brakes. Do they offer surge brakes on that unit? It is harder to stop than to pull.

 

The 4 cyl trucks have the same brakes as the V6. Why are you concerned about the 4cyl brakes but not the V6?

 

That 2.7 engine is badass . It is a workhorse

 

a v6 would really feel that thing behind it. a 4cly will really struggle with it. tacomas are just not good tow vehicles. just the way it is.

 

To quote NYS Law Trailers weighing over 1,000 pounds unladen, and trailers having a maximum gross weight in excess of 3,000 pounds, must be equipped with brakes. Don't care what tow vehicle you have. A load is harder to stop than pull. After you get pushed through a couple of intersections you will understand.